Hinge



J. S. PARSONS HINGE Filed March l0, 1961 FIG. 2

J--A L-'L Jan. 21, 1964 FIG. /3

ATTORNEYS FIGB United States Patent O 3,113,171 HINGE John S. Parsons, West Hartford, Conn., assigner to The Stanley Works, New Britain, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Mar. 1t?, 1961, Ser. No. 94,872 7 Claims. (Cl. 16-136) The present invention relates to improvements in hinges of the type having a pair of leaves with interfitting knuckles and a pin extending through the knuckles to provide a pivotal connection therebetween. More particularly, it is directed to such a hinge having a relatively narrow diameter pin and knuckles and utilizing a novel bearing and pin support assembly.

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a novel hinge assembly of highly pleasing exterior appearance dominated by a relatively narrow diameter interiitting knuckle portion and having a novel bearing and pin support assembly enabling the use of a relatively narrow diameter pin.

Another aim is to provide a ball-bearing hinge of relatively narrow and substantially uniform barrel diameter which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture and having a rugged and long-lasting ball-bearing and pin support assembly providing smooth operation and effective support for a narrow diameter pin even under shock loads.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of the application 'which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a front perspective view of an opened hinge embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view ot the hinge in FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a front View with the hinge barrel in section; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view with the hinge barrel in section.

Referring to the drawing, the hinge illustrated therein is formed of sheet metal and has a pair or" leaves 2, 4 with integrally formed interiitting knuckles 6, 8, lil of substantial axial length. The several knuckles 6, S, l have an aligned bore 12 extending therethrough in which is disposed the elongate shank i4 of the hinge pin 16. As is readily apparent from the drawings, the shank i4 of the hinge pin 16 is of considerably smaller diameter than the diameter of the bore i2.

At its upper end, pin l is provided with tip l consisting of head portion 24 and stem portion 22 having a bore 20 therein. One end or" shank 14 nts snugly into bore 2t? of stem portion 22 and is ixed therein as by swaging stem portion 22 thereon. rEhe tip 18 has a relatively thin head portion 2K2 with a bevelled periphery so as to provide a highly pleasing appearance.

Providing both radial and thrust-bearing support between the interfitting knuckles are ball-bearing assemblies generally designated by the numeral 26. Although the knuckle S may be counterbored at either end to accommodate the axial height of radially extending portion of the assemblies, and particularly when heavier gauge metal is used, the interitting knuckles are spaced axially apart in the illustrated embodiment and the ball-bearing assemblies disposed therebetween. ln either instance, the radial width of the ball-bearing assemblies is accommodated by having a portion thereof extending radially inwardly of the bore i2 so that the barrel may have a ICC substantially uniform and relatively narrow external diameter.

Each of the ball-bearing assemblies 26 is comprised of a movable raceway 30 and a stationary raceway 32 with a portion 34 extending axially within the bore of the knuckle 8 which is press-fit or xed therein. The raceways 30, 32 move relative to each other upon the balls 35, andthe bore through the stationary raceway 32 is of larger diameter than that of the movable raceway 30. The ballbearing assembly 26 is maintained as a unit by the inner case 36 and the outer case 38 which cooperate to provide an effective dirt seal for preventing fouling of the bearing and also to retain the grease or lubricant between the raceways. As best illustrated in FIG. 4, the inner case 36 ts closely about the movable raceway 30 and extends coaxially of the bore but is spaced inwardly from the axially extending portion 34 of the stationary raceway 32 due to its larger bore so that the stationary raceway 32 is movable relative thereto without binding. The inturned lip at its lower end forms a close fit with the edge of the portion 34 to provide a dirt and lubricant seal and to maintain assembly but also enables relative movement without binding. The pin 16 and bearing assembly 26 are so dirnensioned that the pin forms a sliding fit with the inner case 36. The outer case 38 similarly ts tightly about the movable raceway 30 and .provides a close but.

non-binding iit under the bevelled edge of the stationary race-way 32.

Thus, it can be seen that the outer case 3S which provides the external sheath for the ball-bearing assembly, is of substantially the same diameter as that of the knuckles so as to provide a barrel of substantially uniform diameter. Although the inner case and outer case may be formed integrally, use of two elements as shown enables the selection of one material for the inner case for the desired physical properties, and the selection of a different material for the outer case which can be finished as desired for exterior appearance.

As best illustrated in PIG. 4, there is a substantial axial spacing in the knuckle bore between the axially extending portions 34 of the ball-bearing assemblies 26 in which is disposed an annular sleeve itl through which the hinge pin 16 freely extends. Although two or more sleeves may be employed depending upon the length ci the axial spacing, a single sleeve of lesser axial length than the spacing and intermediate the bearings 26 provides an effective assembly, as shown in the illustrated embodiment. The circular aperture of the sleeve et? is only slightly larger in diameter than the hinge pin so as not to bear upon the pin during relative rotation in normal operation of the hinge but to provide a radial support for the pin intermediate the ball-bearing assemblies and prevent any excessive ilexures of the pin under shock or stress loads such as would permanently deiorm it. The sleeve 4) is preferably made from a material having a relatively low coehcient ci friction such as nylon, Deirin or linear polyethylene so as to provide a satisfactory non-wearing surface when called into play.

Force-fitted in the bores of knuckles e, itl are annular sleeves 4l, 42 which are dimensioned to provide a sliding t with the pin le. rhese sleeves may be of metal or the same material as sleeve 40 and serve as support and spacing means for the hinge pin in the knuckles 6 and ttl while providing a guide for the pin during insertion or extraction to prevent damage to the bearing assemblies 26. As shown in FIG. 4, the sleeves 41, 42 are xed in the knuckles 6, lll by seating a small radial flange 43 thereon in a shallow counterbore in the knuckles. The edge of the knuckle adjacent the counterbore is then staked so as to deform some of the metal over the iiange 43 and lock the sleeves therein.

In the illustrated embodiment, the hinge pin i6 is prevented from rising inadvertently by an annular collar 4 of resiliently deformable plastic material which abuts against the sleeve 42 in knuckle l0. As the hinge pin is driven downwardly, the collar 44 is expanded outwardly until the radial rib 46 seats in the undercut portion 4S of the hinge pin. The hinge tip 59 has a stem portion 52 which forms a drive fit Vin the bore of the knuckle to heid the collar 44 against the sleeve 42. To provide a symmetrical appearance, the head portion 54 of the tip Si) is thin and is provided with a beveiled periphery cornplrnenta'ry to that of the pin tip 22. As shown in FIG. 3, the tip 50 has an aperture 56 extending axially therethrough to permit insertion of a nail for driving the hinge pin 16 outwardly. Y

The operation of the hinge of the present invention can be appreciated readily from consideration of FGS. 3 'and 4 of the drawings. When the leaves turn relative to each other, there is no tendency for the pin to turn relative to the knuckles 6, l@ or the movable raceway or inner case 36 so that there is no frictional wear upon the pin by these elements. The stationary raceway 32 which is fixed or press-nt into the knuckle 8 moves with the leaf 2, and its effective contact with the leaf 4 is solely through the balls 35 since there is clearance be'- tween axially extending portion 34 and the inner case 32. Thus, no frictional wear occurs upon the pin 16 during normal operation of the hinge, and the bearing assembly provides both thrust and radial bearing support for the hinge.

However, the` pin i6 is relatively iiexible due to its narrow Adiameter and is, in fact, subjected to bending forces by reason of its pivotal connection at the bearing assemblies 26 which are spaced apart a substantial axial distance, The sleeve provides a radial support for the pin between the bearing assemblies 26 and prevents excessive deformation of the pin during shock or stress i'oading, although in normal Operation the sleeve 40 will not contact or wear upon the pin.

When it is desired to assemble the hinge, the hinge pin 16 is inserted and is guided by the upper sleeve 41 into and through the upper ball-bearing assembly 26. The pin 16 then passes through the sleeve 46 and is guided thereby into the lower ball-bearing assembly 26. As the pin i6 is driven home, it passes through the lower sleeve 42 and is engaged by the pin retaining collar 44 so as to prevent inadvertent disassembly during operation of the hinge.

When it is desired to disassemble the hinge, a nail or suitable tool is inserted into the aperture 56 and sufcient 'force applied to release the pin from the collar 44, after which the pin can be withdrawn by the tip i8. It can be Seen that the pin retaining collar 44 is held in position against disassembling forces by the sleeve 42 and hinge tip which are fixed in said bore. In both assembling and disassembling operation, the several sleeves 46, 41, and 42 guide the pin so as to prevent any damage to the ball-bearing assemblies and particularly any distortion of Vthe inner case 36 into frictional contact with the stationary raceway 32 which would result in the production of wear particles during operation of the hinge.

By the present invention, a narrow diameter barrel .and a small diameter pin of relative flexibility can be utilized to provide a hinge of highly pleasing appearance with a barrel portion of substantially uniform diameter. 'There is no necessity for reducing the strength of the Vhinge leaves by counterboring to conceal or accommodate Vthe bearings, and more effective bearing assemblies can be employed. The unitary ball-bearing assemblies with Vtheir highly eicient dirt seals can be installed in the knuckles readily at a minimum of cost. Although the 'hinge pin is relatively exible between the spaced bearings during operation, the intermediate sleeve maintains align- Yment and resists excessive exure of the pin so as to insure parallelism of the bearing surfaces. In this manner, a hinge Yof highly Vdesirable appearance and relatively low cost can be provided which is rugged in construction and smooth in operation.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications and adaptations of the structure above described will become readily apparent without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, the scope of which is dened in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A hinge assembly having a relatively small diameter barrel and pin comprising a pair of leaves having interi'itting knuckles with an aligned and substantially uniform diameter bore extending therethrough, one of said leaves having a pair of axially spaced knuckles and the other having a single interlitting knuckle; ball-bearing assemblies at the ends of said single knuckle providing radial and thrust-bearing support between said interiitting knuckles, said ball-bearing assemblies each extending inwardly of the aligned bore of said knuckles and having a bore extending therethrough coaxial with the bore of said knuckles but of lesser diameter, said ball-bearing assemblies each having a movable raceway and a stationary raceway with a portion extending axially and fixed within the bore of the knuckles of said other leaf, the bore of said stationary raceway being of greater diameter than that of the movable raceway; a hinge pin seated in said knuckles and extending through the bores of said ball-bearing assemblies for pivotal connection of said leaves, said hinge pin being spaced radially inwardly from the stationary raceway; an annular sleeve in the bore between said bearing assemblies through which said hinge pin freely extends, said sleeve being of lesser axial length than the spacing between said bearing assemblies, said bearing assemblies providing radial and thrust-bearing support for said hinge during normal operation and said sleeve providing radial support for said hinge pin between said bearing assemblies under shock and stress loading to limit deformation thereof; and annular spacing sleeves in the bore of the knuckles of said one leaf through which said pin extends.

2. A hinge assembly having a substantially uniform and relatively small diameter barrel comprising: a pair of leaves having axially spaced apart and intertting knuckles with aligned bores extending therethrough; ball-bearing assemblies between said intertting 'knuckles providing combined thrust and radial bearing support therebetween and having an outer diameter substantially equal to that of said knuckles to provide a barrel of substantially uniform diameter, said ball-bearing assemblies each extending radially inwardly of the knuckle bores and having a movable raceway and a stationary raceway, said stationary raceway having a portion extending axially within the bore of one of said leaves and engaged therein, said movable and stationary raceways having bores extending therethrough coaxial with the bores of said knuckles but of lesser diameter and the bore of said movable raceway being of lesser diameter than that of the stationary raceway, each of said bearing assemblies having a bearing case providing an outer shell therefor of outer diameter substantially equal to that of the knuckles to provide a uni- 'i form and pleasing external apperance; a hinge pin seated in said knuckles and extending through said ball-bearing assemblies to provide a pivotal connection between said hinge leaves; an annular sleeve in the bore of said one leaf between said bearing assemblies and having a circular aperture of greater diameter than said pin, said sleeve being of lesser axial length than the spacing between said bearing assemblies, said bearing assemblies providing both radial and thrust-bearing support for said hinge during normal operation and said sleeve providing radial support for said hinge pin between said bearing assemblies under shock and stress loading to limit deformation thereof; and annular spacing sleeves in the bore of the other of said leaves to provide lateral support for said pin.

3. A hinge assembly having a relatively small diameter barrel and pin comprising a pair of leaves having interfitting knuckles with an aligned bore extending therethrough; combined radial and thrust-bearing means between interfitting knuckles extending radially inwardly of the aligned bore in said knuckles and having a bore extending therethrough coaxial with the bore of said knuckles but of lesser diameter, said combined radial and thrust-bearing means each having a pair of cooperating vertically aligned bearing components rotatable relative to each other, one of said bearing components of each of said bearing means being fixed to one of said leaves and having a bore of greater diameter than the bore of the other of said bearing components, said bearing means being axially spaced apart; a hinge pin seated in said knuckles and extending through the bores of said bearing means for pivotal connection of said leaves, said hinge pin being spaced radially inwardly from the xed bearing component; and annular sleeve means through which said hinge pin freely extends disposed in the bore of said knuckles between said bearing means said sleeve means being of lesser axial length than the spacing between said bearing means, said bearing means providing the radial and thrust-bearing support for said hinge during normal operation thereof and said sleeve means providing radial support for said hinge pin between said bearing means under shock and stress loading to limit deformation thereof.

4. A hinge assembly having a barrel of substantially uniform and relatively small diameter comprising a pair of leaves having axially spaced apart intertting knuckles with an aligned bore extending therethrough; a pair of combined radial and thrust-bearing assemblies between said intertting knuckles providing bearing support therebetween and each having a portion disposed in the axial spacing between said knuckles with an outer diameter substantially equal to that of the knuckles of said leaves, said bearing assemblies each extending radially yinwardly of the aligned bore of the knuckles and having aligned bores extending therethrough coaxial with the bore of said knuckles but of lesser diameter, said combined radial and thrustbearing assemblies each having a pair of cooperating vertically aligned bearing components rotatable relative to each other, one of said bearing components of each of said bearing assemblies being xed to one of said leaves and having a bore of greater diameter than the bore of the other of said bearing components, said bearing assemblies being axially spaced apart; a hinge pin in said knuckles extending through the bores of said bearing assemblies for pivotal connection of said leaves, said hinge pin being radially spaced from said xed bearing components; and an annular sleeve through which said hinge pin freely extends disposed in the bore of said one leaf between said bearing assemblies, said sleeve being of lesser axial length than the spacing between said bearing assemblies and having an aperture therethrough of greater diameter than said pin to provide a radial spacing therebetween, said bearing assemblies providing the radial and thrustbearing support for said hinge during normal operation thereof and said sleeve means providing radial support for said hinge pin between said bearing assemblies under shock and stress loading to limit deformation thereof.

5. A hinge assembly having a relatively small diameter barrel and pin comprising a pair of leaves having intertting knuckles with an aligned bore extending therethrough; combined radial and thrust bearing means between the interfitting knuckles thereof and having a bore coaxial with the bore of said knuckles but of lesser diameter, said bearing means having tubular sleeve portions extending axially into the bore of said knuckles, at least one of said tubular sleeve portions having a radial flange positioned in a counterbore at the end of one of said knuckles to provide a thrust load supporting surface for said bearing means; a hinge pin extending through the bores of said knuckles and said bearing means to provide a pivotal connection for said leaves; and an annular sleeve means through which said hinge pin freely extends positioned in the bore of said knuckles between said bearing means to provide radial support for said hinge pin between said bearing means under shock and stress loading to limit deformation thereof.

6. A hinge assembly having a relatively small diameter barrel and pin comprising a pair of leaves having intertting knuckles with an aligned bore extending therethrough; combined radial and thrust bearing means between the intertting knuckles thereof and having a bore coaxial with the bore of said knuckles but of lesser diameter, said bearing means having tubular sleeve portions extending axially into the bore of said knuckles, at least one of said tubular sleeve portions having a radial flange positioned in a counterbore at the end of one of said knuckles to provide a thrust load supporting surface for said bearing means with a portion of the metal of said knuckle being deformed to overlie said radial flange to lock the same against axial movement; and a hinge pin extending through the bores of said knuckles and said bearing means to provide a pivotal connection for said leaves.

7. A hinge assembly having a relatively small diameter barrel and pin comprising a pair of leaves having intertting knuckles with an aligned bore extending therethrough; combined radial and thrust bearing means between the intertting knuckles thereof and having a bore coaxial with the bore of said knuckles but of lesser diameter, said bearing means comprising a ball-bearing assembly having a movable raceway and a stationary raceway and tubular sleeve portions extending axially into the bore of said knuckles, at least one of said tubular sleeve portions having a radial ange positioned in a counterbore at the end of one of said knuckles to provide a thrust load supporting surface for one of said raceways with a portion of the metal of said knuckle being deformed to overlie said radial ange to lock the same against axial movement; and a hinge pin extending through the bores of said knuckles and said bearing means to provide a pivotal connection for said leaves.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 475,439 Corscaden May 24, 1892 1,737,544 Parsons Nov. 26, 1929 1,824,886 Hart Sept. 29, 1931 2,010,659 Ferris Aug. 6, 1935 2,214,348 Roth Sept. 10, 1940 2,824,464 Remington Feb. 25, 1958 3,007,193 Hughes et al. Nov. 7, 1961 3,015,126 Ahlgren Jan. 2, 1962 

6. A HINGE ASSEMBLY HAVING A RELATIVELY SMALL DIAMETER BARREL AND PIN COMPRISING A PAIR OF LEAVES HAVING INTERFITTING KNUCKLES WITH AN ALIGNED BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH; COMBINED RADIAL AND THRUST BEARING MEANS BETWEEN THE INTERFITTING KNUCKLES THEREOF AND HAVING A BORE COAXIAL WITH THE BORE OF SAID KNUCKLES BUT OF LESSER DIAMETER, SAID BEARING MEANS HAVING TUBULAR SLEEVE PORTIONS EXTENDING AXIALLY INTO THE BORE OF SAID KNUCKLES, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID TUBULAR SLEEVE PORTIONS HAVING A RADIAL FLANGE POSITIONED IN A COUNTERBORE AT THE END OF ONE OF SAID KNUCKLES TO PROVIDE A THRUST LOAD SUPPORTING SURFACE FOR SAID BEARING MEANS WITH A PORTION OF THE METAL OF SAID KNUCKLE BEING DEFORMED TO OVERLIE SAID RADIAL FLANGE TO LOCK THE SAME AGAINST AXIAL MOVEMENT; AND A HINGE PIN EXTENDING THROUGH THE BORES OF SAID KNUCKLES AND SAID BEARING MEANS TO PROVIDE A PIVOTAL CONNECTION FOR SAID LEAVES. 